Kevin Magnussen has blamed driver Nyck de Vries’ aggressive on-track behaviour at the Austrian Grand Prix has on his desperate fight for a future in Formula 1.
De Vries and Magnussen have frequently found themselves in conflict in recent races, with their battle at the Canadian Grand Prix resulting in both drivers losing significant time after taking to the escape road.
The clash between the two drivers continued in Austria, where Magnussen deliberately slowed down in front of De Vries to express his disapproval following an incident during qualifying.
During the race, Magnussen voiced his complaint, stating that De Vries had “completely pushed me off” when attempting an overtake at Turn 4 after the Safety Car restart.
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Later in the race, Magnussen ended up in the gravel after a failed move around the outside of Turn 6.
De Vries received a five-second penalty and two points on his license for the incident at Turn 4, having escaped punishment for their earlier clashes.
He eventually finished 17th, one place ahead of Magnussen.
The mounting pressure on De Vries at AlphaTauri was further highlighted by Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, who admitted that Christian Horner’s reservations about signing De Vries are being proven right.
In the aftermath of the race, Magnussen suggested that De Vries’ aggressive behavior on the track reflects his uncertain position within the Red Bull team.
Magnussen stated, “He got a penalty, right? So he did push me off. But he’s racing for his future, and [is] maybe in a bit of a desperate situation.
“There’s nothing I can say, really. He got a penalty, so it is what it is.”
Despite not making contact with Magnussen at Turn 6, De Vries, who has yet to score a point after nine races in 2023, accepted the penalty.
He compared the clash with Magnussen to separate incidents from last month’s Spanish Grand Prix involving Yuki Tsunoda and Guanyu Zhou, as well as Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz.
De Vries remarked, “We happen to like each other when it comes to meeting each other on track! But I think it was hard racing.”
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Acknowledging the stewards’ decision, De Vries stated that he accepts the penalty without feeling entitled to judge its fairness.
He recognised that racing at the limit sometimes results in exceeding the boundaries, and each situation is judged differently.
De Vries emphasised the need to push the limits while remaining within the rules to avoid losing out on opportunities.